Ice cream making machine

ABSTRACT

An ice cream making machine using disposable air tight containers for the mix, the container being placed under pressure by compressed gas, which thus causes the liquid to mix with the gas, the combination taking place at a molecular level, and which also causes the emulsion thus formed to be conveyed to the ice cream distributor.

Waited States Garavelli [54] ICE CREAM MAKING MACHINE [75] Inventor:Giancarlo Garavelli, Milan, Italy [73] Assignee: Heron Establishment,

Liechtenstein [22] Filed: June 24, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 49,450

Vaduz,

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 2, 1969 Switzerland..10114/69 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,248,705 12/1917Pogue ..62/294 [4 1 Apr. 3, 1973 1,991,264 2/1935 Thomas et al...261/D1G. 7 2,241,426 5/1941 Sherwood ..62/306 X 2,654,585 10/1953Heesen t ..261/19 2,541,709 2/1951 Marx ..62/306 2,834,190 5/1958Andrews et al... ...62/392 X 2,996,567 8/1961 Channell et a1... ..16/2 X3,209,554 10/1965 MacManus ...62/306 3,365,910 1/1968 Grose ..62/69 X3,533,537 10/1970 Hazlewood ..62/69 X Primary Examiner--William E.Wayner Attorneyl(imme1, Crowell & Weaver [57] ABSTRACT 7 Claims, 11Drawing Figures PATENTEUAPM 1975 SHEET 5 [IF 8 3724284 Fig.9

PATENTEDAPR3 ms SHEET 7 OF 8 3.724234 Fig.10

ICE CREAM MAKING MACHINE DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART For thepreparation of ice cream of the sherbet and soft ice types, it iscustomary to use machines in which a water based mixture of fattysubstances and flavored essences (called a mix) is emulsified with air.The mixture is conveyed to the ice cream making machine by means of apump which has the combined function of drawing the mix from anopen-topped container, of conveying it to the mixer-distributor, offorming the emulsion, and of maintaining the pressure in the ice creammaker.

In order to obtain the proper combination of air and liquid mix, thepump is usually made powerful enough for its effect to extend beyond theend of the feed line. This results in outside air being sucked in at thesame time as the mix. The action of the mixer causes the air to becombined with the mix, and then, in the form of an emulsion, the two arecooled in the freezer.

The addition of air gives the mix, once it has been emulsified andfrozen, a soft, pasty appearance, and it is of greater volume than theoriginal mix (the ratio between the volume of the original mix and thatof the ice cream product is known as the overrun).

Such an arrangement has a number of drawbacks. First, the liquid mix iseasily contaminated by bacteria from the outside air, and thisrepresents a considerable health risk. Second, frothing is liable tooccur in the container, thereby causing unrecoverable loss of theoriginal mix. Third, the operations of cleaning the pump and thecontainer are difficult to carry out, and frequently require that theybe taken to pieces, if only in part. Fourth, the mechanism of the deviceis complicated and has to be manufactured to very precise standards,thereby increasing the cost of the machine and, ultimately, of the icecream. Fifth, the overrun is small, as it is a function of the power ofthe pump, and this is necessarily somewhat limited. And, finally, thevalue of the overrun is not constant, as it is linked to the viscosityof the mix, which is variable.

As a result of the above, it has been found difficult to produce icecream economically and uniformly. Probably the major drawback lies inthe fact that when air is added to the mix by dynamic means, it does notcombine properly with the mix and does not form a truly stable emulsion.This makes it im-possible to obtain a consistently high quality ofreally soft ice cream.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention seeks to eliminate theaforementioned drawbacks.

According to the present invention, the ice cream making machinecomprises an ice cream mixer-distributor, an emulsifier, a separateair-tight container for the liquid mix, a source of gas under pressureand a central core which is placed inside the container when thecontainer is in use. The central core includes two tubes which open attheir lower extremities into the container. One of the tubes is linkedto the source of gas under pressure, and the other to themixer-distributor. The emulsifier may form part of the central core, tobe inserted into the disposable container at the same time as the core,or it may be placed outside the container, between the central core andthe mixer-distributor.

Means may be provided to compensate for the intcrnal pressure in thecontainer. The machine may also comprise a refrigerating compartment inwhich to place the said containers.

With the machine according to the present invention, a stable emulsioncan be obtained, in which the gas combines with the mix at a molecularlevel and the overrun obtained is ofa high value.

The gas employed is preferably either nitrogen or carbon dioxide, as nobacteria can survive in these gases. The ice cream that is produced withthese gases is therefore free from all bacteria, as there is nopossibility of the ice cream being contaminated in the circuit of theice cream making machine.

A further advantage of the machine according to the present inventionlies in the fact that it can be used to prepare industrial quantities ofthe sherbet and soft ice types of ice cream from a mixture of syrup,flavored essences and water, without needing the adjunction of fattysubstances. This cannot usually be achieved with conventional machines,because the air that is added to the mix in conventional machines can beretained only by the presence of fatty substances.

A further advantage of the instant machine lies in the fact that theseparate containers which hold the liquid mix can easily be manufacturedat the same place as where they are filled, are always ready for use,can be sterilized or pastuerized if necessary, and can be thrown awayafter use.

The machine according to the present invention is illustratedschematically and described by way of example only, in differentembodiments, with reference to the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of afirst possible embodiment of the machine according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the central core of the machineillustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the stopper of the container used inconjunction with the machine, with the container closed, before use;

FIG. 4 is the same when the container is in use p FIG. 5 is aperspective view of a second embodiment of the machine according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross-section of the central core of the machine illustratedin FIG. 5;

I FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the emulsifier of the machineillustrated in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view and partial cross-sectional view of anotherembodiment of the machine according to the present invention; I

FIG. 9 is a modified form of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8; and

FIGS. 10 and ll are perspective views of an embodiment of the presentinvention including a refrigerating cabinet.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS machine uses a separate, airtight, disposable container 1 to hold the mix 17, the container 1 beinglinked, on the one hand, to a source of gas under pressure 18 and on theother hand to a freezer mixer-distributor 11 (shown schematically).Power means (not shown) are provided for driving the mixer andrefrigerating means (not shown) are provided for cooling thedistributor. The container 1 has only one opening 2, which can be sealedby means of a collar 3 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

The container 1 has a circular opening 2 in the top thereof which istitted with a circular, cone-shaped coilar 3 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) havinga horizontal circular groove 27 integrally formed on the outside thereoffor clamping engagement with the peripheral edge of the opening in thetop of the container. Inwardly extending ribs 26 are formed on the innerwall of the collar for cooperation with seal 16 on core 4 to ensure thatthe container is air tight after the core has been inserted. A thinmembrane 25 is provided at the bottom of collar 3, which will keep thecontainer sealed until it is pierced by insertion of the core 4 into thecontainer. A safety cap or stopper 23 is also provided for insertioninto the top of the collar 3 to keep dirt and other foreign material outuntil the container is ready to be used.

In the first embodiment (see FIGS. 1 and 2), the container 1 is broughtinto service by inserting the vertical central core 4 through theopening 2 at the top of the container 1 so that the bottom of the core 4is immersed in the mix 17 in the container 1. The central core 4includes three vertical passages (5, 8 and 13, respectively). Inletpassage 5, which is used for feeding pressurized gas into container 1,has the upper end thereof connected to a feed line 6 by means of a valve7. The lower end of the passage opens into the container 1 at the bottomof the core 4 by intersecting the core periphery at the bottom of thecore below the top of the mix 17. The gas entering the containers willmix with the liquid mix 17. The second passage 8, which is used todischarge a gas-liquid emulsion from container 1, has the upper endthereof connected to an outlet line 9 by means of a valve 10. The lowerend of the second passage 8 opens into the container 1 at the bottom ofcore 4 by intersecting the core periphery at the bottom of the corebelow the top of the mix 17. The liquid mix 17 with gas therein willpass upwardly therethrough. The third passage 13 is provided with acalibrated aperture 14 at its upper end which intersects the coreperiphery above the intersections of the passages 5 and 8 with the coreperiphery and above the top of the mix 17 and which opens into the airspace between the top of the mix 17 and the top of container 1. Thebottom of the third passage 13 connects with the second or outletpassage 8 near the bottom thereof. Gas from the air space above the mixwili pass through calibrated opening 14, third passage 13 and intosecond passage 8. Passage of the gas into second passage 8 will causethe liquid mix 17 being forced upwardly through the bottom of the secondpassage to be further enriched with gas for complete emulsiflcation.

In a second possible embodiment (see FIG. 8), the container 1 is broughtinto service by being placed inside a secondary container 41 of similarshape which is so constructed that the original container 1 ismaintained within it by a support ring 42 at the bottom and byprotruding elements 43 disposed on the inner wall of the secondarycontainer 41. In this embodiment of the invention, the inlet passage 5has an additional opening 44 which permits gas to pass into the airspace 45 between the two containers (1 and 41, respectively); the thirdpassage 13, which serves as an internal emulsifier, links the air space45 with the bottom of the vertical outlet tube 8 by means of acalibrated aperture 46. In this embodiment, the central core 4 is firmlyattached to the lid 47, and, by conventional means, the lid provides ahermetic seal for the container 41.

In the case of this particular design, the containers do not have to bemade to withstand a high internal pressure, such as that caused by thegas under pressure, for the force is distributed equally and thecontainer is subject to equal pressure on the inside and on the outside.Furthermore, this embodiment features two advantages. First, the airspace 15 is reduced to a bare minimum, leaving just enough space toallow for the displacement of mix when the central core 4 is inserted,the calibrated aperture 14, which allowed gas to pass, being no longerneeded inside of the container. Second, the compressed gas in thepassage 13 comes from air space 45 through calibrated aperture 46 thusavoiding all possible chance of extra mix 17 instead of extra gas, beingadded to the emulsion.

If desired, the container need not be manufactured specially. It may beof conventional design, e.g. of the type already in general use in thefood industry, whereby a special collar will not be required to allowpassage of the central core 4. In this case (see FIG. 9) the container 1is placed within an air tight container 41, the lid 47 of which has anopening in the center for the central core 4 to pass through. A circularhermetic seal 48, attached round the opening in the lid 47, is placedbetween the lid 47 and the upper face of the container 1. In this way,the air space 45 between the container 1 and the other, secondarycontainer 41 is isolated from the circumambient air.

The central core is screwed to the lid, but it could be manufactured asin integral part thereof. The central core 4 has a sharp, circular endon its bottom which will pierce the top of the container 1 when the core4 is introduced through the opening in the middle of the lid 47 and thecore 4 is rotated to attach it to the lid 47. A calibrated aperture 46is provided and this opens into the air space 15 between the mix and thetop of the container. This avoids possible risk of contamination of themix 17 by polluted air that may have been in the air space 45 of thesecondary container 41. The inlet tube 5 has an opening 44 and the lid47 has a passageway 44a which permit pressurized gas to flow forequalizing the pressure inside of and outside of container 1.

In another embodiment (see FIGS. 5, 6 and 7), the container 1 is broughtinto use by means of a simplified central core 4 which is introducedthrough the opening at the top of the container 1. This central coreincludes only the first or inlet passage 5 and the second or outletpassage 8. Passage 8 is connected to an outlet line 20 by means of avalve 10. Passage 5 is connected by valve 7 to an inlet line 6 leadingfrom a source of gas pressure 18. The outlet line 20 is connected to aseparate and independent, external emulsifier 31 by means of connectingvalves 29. A feed line 19, connected to the source of gas under pressure18, is connected to the emulsifier by valve 38.

As will be seen from FIG. 7, the emulsifier 31 consists of a vertical,flat-bottomed, cylindrical container 30, with two valves in the sidewall, the upper one 38 being for admission of the gas, and the lower 29for admission of the liquid mix 17. A collared lid 32, having an airtight circular seal 33 is provided. The lid 32 has a collar member 28aformed integrally on its top, with circular sealing rings 28 beingprovided thereon. The lid 32 has on its underside an integral,downwardly extending cylindrical core 34. An internal passage 35 extendsfrom the top of the collar 28a, through the lid 32 to the bottom of thecore 34. The core 34 has an opening 36 at the bottom and a secondopening 21 in the side, adjacent the bottom. The core 34 is surroundedby a cylinder 37 which has an opening 39 in its side near the top, anopening 39a in its bottom and a groove 40 leading from the level of theopening 39 to that of opening 21 in the core 34. Circular, horizontalseals 22 are placed between the core 34 and cylinder 37 above and belowopenings 21 and 39 to isolate the groove 40 from the rest of the spacebetween the core 34 and the cylinder 37.

The emulsifier 31 may be linked directly to the ice creammixer-distributor 11 through the collar 28a, which is kept air tight byits circular seals 28 or else it may be linked to the distributor bymeans of an outlet line 9 and a connecting valve 10, the outlet line 9being connected to the ice cream mixer-distributor 11 by anotherconnecting valve 12. The emulsifier 31 may have a circular, horizontalmembrane 24 separating the liquid mix in the bottom of the container 30,from the pressurized gas in the upper half of the container, if desired.

In this embodiment gas under pressure enters container 1 through passage5 and forces mix 17 out of the container through outlet line 20 to theemulsifier 31. Gas under pressure enters the emulsifier through line 19passes through opening 39, groove 40 and opening 21 and thence upwardlythrough passage 35. When the gas flows upwardly into passage 35, the mixin the bottom of the emulsifier 31 will be drawn upwardly throughopening 39a, through opening 39 and will be mixed or emulsified with thegas, after which the emulsion will pass through line 9 to themixer-distributor 11.

For use outside, and for use in shops, tea rooms and other warmbuildings, the machine according to the present invention (see FIGS. 10and 11) may include a cabinet having a refrigerating compartment 50fitted with a door 51; a compressor compartment in the lower half 52 ofthe cabinet for housing the compressor required to lower the temperaturein the refrigerating compartment 50 and in the mixer-distributor l1 anda freezer compartment in the upper half 53 of the machine for housingthe mixerdistributor 11. Containers l are placed in the refrigeratingcompartment 50 and are linked to the mixer-distributor 11 by outlettubes 9, their supply of gas under pressure being provided by a cylinder18 of compressed gas, to which they are connected by feed lines 6.

The containers 1 can be disconnected from the gas pressure source 18 andfrom the mixer-distributor 11 and from the emulsifier 31 if this is aseparate unit, by

means of the appropriate connecting valves, without there being anycontact whatsoever between the liquid mix for making the ice cream andthe outside, possibly polluted air, or any other foreign body. Thisrepresents a substantial step forward both from the commercial and fromthe technical points of view. It should furthermore be noted that whenthe bacteriologically pure gas is emulsified with the mix, thecombination takes place at a molecular level, so that the watercontained in the mix is caused to evaporate. This, in turn, ensures thatthe ice cream will be dry and of high quality.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for making ice cream comprising: an ice creammixer-distributor; a source of gas under pressure; a disposable airtight container for holding liquid ice cream mix; a core removablymounted to and extending downwardly into said container from its top,the bottom of the core being immersed in the mix; a first passage in thecore intersecting the core periphery below the top of the mix; meansconnecting said first passage with said source of gas for permitting theintroduction of gas under pressure into the mix; a second passage in thecore intersecting the core periphery below the top of the mix; meansconnecting the second passage with the mixer-distributor so as to enablethe gas introduced into the mix by the first passage to convey the mixthrough the second passage to the mixerdistributor; and a third passagein the core intersecting the second passage at one end and intersectingthe core periphery above the intersection of said first and secondpassages with the periphery of the core and above the top of the mix tothereby act as an emulsifier by mixing gas with the mix being conveyedthrough the second passage to the mixer-distributor.

2. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the third passage intersectsthe periphery of the core by way of an aperture within the container soas to link the air space in the container above the top of the mix withthe second passage.

3. A machine according to claim 1 which includes means for compensatingfor internal pressure in the disposable container that comprises: asecondary container in which said disposable container is located so asto provide a space therebetween; a lid in air-tight relationship withthe secondary container, said core being mounted to said lid andextending downwardly thereof through the top of said disposablecontainer; and means providing communication between said first passageand said space.

4. A machine according to claim 1 further comprising: a sharp circularend on the bottom of said core whereby said bottom can cut an opening insaid disposable container for insertion of said core therein.

5. A machine according to claim 3 wherein the lid of the secondarycontainer has an opening therein for reception of the core.

6. A machine according to claim 5 further comprising: a circular airtight seal disposed between the core and the lid.

7. A machine according to claim 3 wherein said third passage intersectsthe core periphery in said space.

1. A machine for making ice cream comprising: an ice creammixer-distributor; a source of gas under pressure; a disposable airtight container for holding liquid ice cream mix; a core removablymounted to and extending downwardly into said container from its top,the bottom of the core being immersed in the mix; a first passage in thecore intersecting the core periphery below the top of the mix; meansconnecting said first passage with said source of gas for permitting theintroduction of gas under pressure into the mix; a second passage in thecore intersecting the core periphery below the top of the mix; meansconnecting the second passage with the mixer-distributor so as to enablethe gas introduced into the mix by the first passage to convey the mixthrough the second passage to the mixer-distributor; and a third passagein the core intersecting the second passage at one end and intersectingthe core periphery above the intersection of said first and secondpassages with the periphery of the core and above the top of the mix tothereby act as an emulsifier by mixing gas with the mix being conveyedthrough the second passage to the mixer-distributor.
 2. A machineaccording to claim 1 wherein the third passage intersects the peripheryof the core by way of an aperture within the container so as to link theair space in the container above the top of the mix with the secondpassage.
 3. A machine according to claim 1 which includes means forcompensating for internal pressure in the disposable container thatcomprises: a secondary container in which said disposable container islocated so as to provide a space therebetween; a lid in air-tightrelationship with the secondary container, said core being mounted tosaid lid and extending downwardly thereof through the top of saiddisposable container; and means providing communication between saidfirst passage and said space.
 4. A machine according to claim 1 furthercomprising: a sharp circular end on the bottom of said core whereby saidbottom can cut an opening in said disposable container for insertion ofsaid core therein.
 5. A machine according to claim 3 wherein the lid ofthe secondary container has an opening therein for reception of thecore.
 6. A machine according to claim 5 further comprising: a circularair tight seal disposed between the core and the lid.
 7. A machineaccording to claim 3 wherein said third passage intersects the coreperiphery in said space.